Actinic v8 Beta Goes Live

[cdicken]

Hi Everyone,

We are very pleased to announce the much-anticipated Actinic v8 Beta release.

Version 8 sees the introduction of two distinct ranges of products - tailored specifically to the needs of merchants who want to build and manage their own ecommerce web sites; and web designers who want to build and deploy ecommerce sites for clients.

Actinic v8 For Web Designers

Based around a new and completely rebuilt, flexible architecture, Actinic v8 provides an object-oriented design view offering point-and-click access to the code. This will enable web designers to develop ecommerce sites easily, more economically and with few compromises.

For more information about the v8 product range for web designers go to: http://www.actinic.co.uk/v8/wd.htm

Actinic v8 for Merchants

Actinic v8 also provides a significant feature upgrade to Actinic Catalog and Actinic Business - the products for merchants who build and maintain their own sites. Actinic Catalog and Business benefit from new functionality in the areas of design flexibility, advanced marketing and merchandising, and catalogue and store management.

For more information about the v8 product range for merchants go to: http://www.actinic.co.uk/v8/diy.htm

Special Offers

We have some special offers available during the v8 beta period. Details will be included in our latest email newsletters, which are being sent out this week.

If you do not receive your email newsletter by Friday 7th July and would like to know more about our special offers, please contact the Actinic Sales Team on 0845 129 4800.

Support

Support queries and user feedback for the v8 beta will be by email, to v8beta@actinic.co.uk

[kathynewman]

Well I see soon really did mean soon the other day!:D

[Jim Riley]

Any news on when V9 will be out Chris? ;)

Jim

[jont]

Any news on when V9 will be out Chris? ;)

I can answer on his behalf ... "soon" :D

[Jim Riley]

I can answer on his behalf ... "soon" :D

V8 looks great for now - - lets get our teeth into it :p

Jim

[Duncan Rounding]

OK - first question - what's the equivalent of the V7 Actinic Devloper?
Is it Business Multi Site? - And if so does Business Multi Site contain the Web Developer features of Web Designer?

[jont]

Business Multi Site = Developer of old ... it will allow order downloads and design

[cdicken]

And if so does Business Multi Site contain the Web Developer features of Web Designer?Yes. It will include a Dreamweaver Interface as well as all the new design features that are introduced across the range.

I'm starting to think a v8 forum will be a good idea. I'll run it past the management team and get it set up tomorrow. In the meantime, feel free to keep posting here.

By the way, there is a beta testing guide available to help you through the new features. The link is on the download page.

[jont]

there is a beta testing guide available to help you through the new features

Top tip - pretend you have never heard of Act_Templates.html or NETQUOTEVAR's .. after a few days of thinking like v6 and v7 came to the conclusion you can't :rolleyes:

[pinbrook]

Top tip - pretend you have never heard of Act_Templates.html or NETQUOTEVAR's .. after a few days of thinking like v6 and v7 came to the conclusion you can't :rolleyes:

Yep I agree with this, its driving me mad not being able to plough in and hack the templates, having to work out where the bit of the template is that i want.

Still come back to me next week and I'll go netquotewhat?

[pinbrook]

a forum would be nice, as there is a huge learning curve here...

why not have it a login only forum? or use the same criteria to access it as the developer one

[pinbrook]

Malcolm, are you double posting? :eek:

[RuralWeb]

It looks like it - must be V8 fever. Ill delete this one.

[george]

I think J's claiming this thread to herself... :p

[Duncan Rounding]

It won't install for me.

Install hangs at 23% at:
C:\WINDOWS\Fonts\IDAutomationC39S.ttf

Is it just me?

(I've sent an email to the beta feedback address)

[Jan]

Try rebooting, if that doesn't fix it try uninstalling the ID automation true type font before installing.

Regards,

[jont]

a forum would be nice, as there is a huge learning curve here..

I agree - as the BETA has been released it would be better for the Actinicers to hit the ground running when the final live version is made available.... I imagine the support phone lines on the first day of release will be busy enough and a new forum could resolve many of them.

Just my 2p worth

[george]

Errors and buggy issues can be reported via email as requested.

Smooth changeovers will benefit from the experiences reported on the forum as others overcome initial problems.

That will allow Actinic to concentrate on (real) problems rather than answering my, oops, any questions that are no doubt going to multiply ten-fold in the next few days.

[RuralWeb]

I think J's claiming this thread to herself... OK I claim the first live V8 site - www.ruralwebdesign.co.uk

There are two threads going at the moment hence my mistaken duplicate post. Hopefully we will get a V8 section in the morning - it should not be limited as jo suggests, as everyone will be interested not only those who have purchased developer.

[RuralWeb]

Still fails W3C Validation with 9 errors on brouchure and 83 on product BUT this is much better than V7 which had hundreds on product pages.

[pinbrook]

it should not be limited as jo suggests

reason for suggested the limitation was Chris said they didn't want all Beta discussions being public.

Yes the end v8 when it is live would be a normal public forum, but maybe not the beta testing

[RuralWeb]

Wonder who they will allow in???????

[Max]

I do not want to rain on anyones picnic, but what happened to user defined language choice, you know that outside of the UK or America there are languages other than English, which translates to more business possibilities, not forgetting the EEC which means free trade across borders.

Just an idea :confused:


Max

[pinbrook]

complaint.... I need a new monitor at higher res, there's too many windows to keep open now

1024 on 15" laptop sucks :D

[RuralWeb]

Found out last night that if you uninstall and reinstall V8 then your evaluation expires and you cannot use the software again.

[RuralWeb]

as there is a huge learning curve here Its taken me a long time to get to grips with V7 I am not sure I want to go through that again with V8:(

[jont]

Its taken me a long time to get to grips with V7 I am not sure I want to go through that again with V8:(

I don't think you will be alone there Malcolm

[Los_dev]

time to switch of the phones and draw the curtains...looks like a long month ;)

Just to clarify, developer upgrades to designer? Checked out the site & prices, will wait til 01/08/06 me thinks but from a beta first view looks a dream for designers (I did say first view...)

[pinbrook]

Found out last night that if you uninstall and reinstall V8 then your evaluation expires

mine doesn't expire, I've reinstalled about 8 times. The beta version is valid until 1 August it tells me on reinstall

[RuralWeb]

Just had an email from Actinic saying that you need to delete the V8 files from your PC for it to install correctly.

[RuralWeb]

It will now not install at all on my PC - says it wants to upgrade but cannot find the files to upgrade and closes.:mad:

[cdicken]

It will now not install at all on my PC - says it wants to upgrade but cannot find the files to upgrade and closes.Please report this to v8beta@actinic.co.uk (if you have not done so already).

Just out of interest, at what stage is the installation failing? Is it as soon as it starts or half-way? If half-way, are you sure you are choosing to install a new v8, and not trying to upgrade a v7 installation?

[RuralWeb]

I thought I had fixed it but it is again telling me that my evaluation has expired.

choosing to install a new v8 It is not giving me the option to instal a new copy just upgrade

I followed the instructions from support but the instalation told me that it was upgrading, half way through it was looking from some ini files and shut down.

I undeleted the V8 files and the upgrade worked BUT when I shutdown the PC as requested it opened and said it had expired. I have uninstalled several times but it has expired each time.

At one stage it was telling me to rename the site 1 folder and another time it said I did not have access rights.

I have given up now.

[Jan]

It is not giving me the option to instal a new copy just upgradeIf it is doing this then it doesn't think you have uninstalled it. You will need to uninstall is using the option on the start menu or using remove programs and files and then rename the old directory. Then install it.

Regards,

[RuralWeb]

Tried all of those ideas and no joy:(

[RuralWeb]

Sorted now - Actinic sent me an activation key.